Piedmont uses big inning to rout Panthers
April 20, 2008

Tenth-ranked Piedmont used a big fourth inning and went on to a 19-5 win over LaGrange on Saturday at Cleaveland Field. The Lions (29-8, 7-1 GSAC) won their second straight over the Panthers (21-16, 3-5 GSAC).

Piedmont exploded for 11 runs in the fourth inning to wipe out a 3-2 Panthers' lead. The Lions sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning. Travis Hunt drove in five runs in the inning with a pair of doubles. Evan Nissley also had a two-run double in the inning.

The Panthers had taken a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after two were out. Brandon Mahoney doubled in Seth Tucker, who had singled, with the first run of the game. Cory Matticola scored on an error for the second run of the game.

Piedmont came back with two runs off Panther starter Cody Belt (4-4) in the third inning to tie the game. Mahoney gave the Panthers the lead back with his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the bottom of the third.

The Panthers added runs in the fifth and eighth innings to close out their scoring. Corbin Clinage had an RBI single in the fifth. Tyson Sandlin tripled in the eighth and scored on Korey Ison's fly out.

The Panthers had 17 hits in the game but stranded 14 runners. Clinage and Mahoney each had three hits. Tucker, Matticola and Patrick Langley all had two hits.

The two teams close out their three-game series on Sunday.